COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) After 11 straight games of shooting 40 percent or less, South Carolina coach Frank Martin might have thrown up his hands and given up on the Southeastern Conference's worst shooting team.

But instead, he kept believing in them, and the Gamecocks (14-14, 5-11) finally found their touch in an 81-68 win over Mississippi State on Saturday night.

South Carolina shot 46 percent and that was missing seven of its last eight field goals when the game was pretty much out of hand. It was a surprise for many for a team that was shooting just 35 percent in SEC games.